1. Introduction

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m reviewing a lens that’s several years old and was widely reviewed when it came out. So, why should you pay attention to this review in 2016, which is admittedly a day late and a dollar short? Because quite a few things have changed since the time this lens came out. First, this lens on an X-T1 is a different animal than on the x-Pro1. Second, there have been several improvements and firmware updates which have improved things dramatically.

I'm going to start this review off by saying that my conclusion is not a popular one. Most of the reviews you will find online will tell you that the Fujifilm 60mm 2.4 is too slow to be useful. The aperture isn't fast, the autofocus isn't fast, etc., etc. This is what I would call a classic case of Internet overreaction. It can't just be "sort of slow". No. It has to be so slow as to be unusable. So slow that you cannot consider it for photography whatsoever. I can tell you absolutely, this is not the case.

2. Versitile

One of the prime criticisms of the Fujifilm 60mm is that it is a kind of jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none proposition. It’s not the 56 f1.2, it isn’t the 90mm f2, it isn’t a 1:1 macro, it isn’t a quick focusing, yadda, yadda, yadda. You say this lens isn’t a master of any one thing, I say it’s versatile. After all, the reason to go with mirrorless cameras is the savings of weight and size. Do you really want to carry around 6 different lenses for six different jobs, when you could carry around one or two?

Portraiture

My daughter shot with the 60mm. .. Yes, I know the eyes aren't in focus.. I like the picture anyway.

Macro

Nature

I truly think that this lens is the most versatile lens I own. It's fast enough for relatively low light, it's long enough for some good background separation and compression while still getting your entire subject in sharp focus, it's a great portrait lens, it's a great macro lens, and it's wide enough to be useable when you're not shooting animals.

This might seem like a late night infomercial, "but that's not all!!!", and that's specifically the point. I've never felt like I could leave the house with only one lens before. I needed a lens for this situation, that situation, what happens if this, what focal length would be best for that.

Before I know it, I'm carrying a huge camera bag and not taking pictures because I'm spending all my time on spinal surgeries.

However, the 60mm is the one lens I really need. Portraits? I've got it covered. Bugs, flowers, and other tiny stuff? Got it. Has the light gone away? No worries, I'll just set the exposure comp down one stop and open up the aperture. All this and it's incredibly small.

There are other Fujifilm lenses that are better performers optically, or they have a faster aperture, or they focus faster. However, none of them do everything the 60mm does. I agree that I'd rather have the 56mm 1.2 for portraiture. I agree that I'd rather have a true 1:1 macro lens for macro work. I'd rather have a true telephoto lens for compression and nature photography. However, to do all of that, I'm now carrying 3-4 lenses with me at all times and constantly switching between them. There are times when this is the best thing, but normally, I just use the 60mm and forget about it.

3. Cheap

I'm a big fan of bang for buck. The 60mm delivers here too. At the time of me writing this post, the Fuji 60mm is on sale all over the place used or grey market for around $300 or slightly less. I think this is the second best deal in the Fujifilm system (the first best being the 35mm f2 for sale for $299 new, currently).

The 56mm 1.2 is nearly 3 times that price new or double the price used. It's also heavier, it also doesn't have the macro functionality. Basically what I'm saying is, if you're not Scrooge McDuck and money IS a primary concern for you, you could do a lot worse than the 60mm.

4. Performance

One area that the 60mm wasn't criticised was the image quality. It's incredibly sharp, the background blur is nice, and it has a Fujifilm "signature" to it. The 35mm 1.4 had this as well (I used to own this lens until some asshat decided to break in my window and steal it from me while attached to my X-T1). I have never had any issues with the performance of this lens. It is a Fujifilm lens through and through, a stellar performer.

I personally love the bokeh and depth of field fall off of this lens.

5. Closing & Pics

In closing, I think your thoughts on this lens will depend on how you shoot. I like to keep things light. I'm a big believer in things that do everything well and I'm okay with the tradeoffs that forces upon me (my back is too). The size to performance ratio is one of the biggest arguments for the mirror-less camera systems. That argument starts to fall apart for me when the lenses are the same size as those found on big DSLR cameras.

I understand that the size of optics are dictated by physics and that certain lenses with certain qualities have to be a certain size. I also understand why people might want a lens that is a single use piece of glass. However, I'm sure impressed when Fuji manages to pull something out of their hat that's light, small, versatile, a solid performer, and priced well. In my book, the 60mm is a must have.